This invention relates to products, for example, antiperspirants and deodorants, that are topically applied to the skin.
Antiperspirant and deodorant compositions are well known personal care products. The compositions come in a variety of forms and may be formulated, for example, into aerosols, pumps, sprays, liquids, roll-on, lotion, creams, and sticks (both hard and soft), etc.
There are various types of stick antiperspirant compositions. In one type, an antiperspirant salt is suspended in an anhydrous vehicle often including a solid water-insoluble wax. In a second type, an antiperspirant salt is dissolved in a liquid vehicle such as propylene glycol and gelled with a gelling agent such as dibenzylidene sorbitol. A third type includes an emulsion of an aqueous phase containing the antiperspirant salt and an oil phase containing, for example, a volatile silicone, fragrances, gellants, and other additives.
Stick antiperspirant products include an antiperspirant composition within a container. During use of the product, the top of the container is removed and the application surface of the composition is contacted with the underarm. Some of the composition is transferred to the skin, and the container generally also includes some mechanism for moving the composition upwards through the container to continue to provide an exposed application surface. Sometimes, when the composition has largely been consumed, the small portion of remaining stick in the composition can fall out of the container, for example, onto the floor. If the product does not fall onto the floor, the first indication that a consumer may get that the product largely has been consumed is the contact of the plastic platform used to move the composition upward through the container with the skin.
Generally, the invention relates to a product for application to the skin. The product includes a container having an upper end and a non-flowable composition within the container. The composition has an application surface at the open end of the container. The application surface continuously wears away during application of the composition to the skin. The composition includes a cosmetic ingredient such as an antiperspirant salt, deodorant active ingredient, sunscreen, vitamin E, aloe, alphahydroxy acid, fragrance and/or a therapeutic ingredient such as a pharmaceutically active compound (e.g., antiinflammatory agent, hair growth promoter or inhibitor, vitamin E, a alphahydroxy acid, etc.). xe2x80x9cNon-flowablexe2x80x9d, as used herein, means the composition does not flow out of the container when the container is inverted at room temperature.
In one aspect, the application surface has a first visual appearance prior to first use and a second visual appearance at some time after the first use caused by a change in the composition. The change can be, for example, a different color resulting from using a colorant (e.g., dye, pigment, colored bead or colored capsule) in the composition. The colorant may be used to provide a pattern (e.g., a stripe, swirl, marbling, or central core) on the application surface that either changes or becomes visible after first use of the product. The colorant may also be used to cause a change in the color of the entire application surface to provide the second visual appearance. The second visual appearance may also result from, for example, a structural change (e.g., a gap) in the composition. For purposes of the present invention, the visible appearance of a platform supporting the lower end of the composition is not considered a change in the composition and does not constitute a second visual appearance of the application surface hereunder.
In some preferred embodiments, the second visual appearance occurs when the end is near, i.e., when the composition has diminished in height by at least 70% and, preferably, at least 80%. As a result, the user will know when to have a replacement product available and can discard the product before, for example, the remaining composition in the container is dislodged from the container.
In some preferred embodiments, the composition includes a stripe extending across the application surface prior to first use. The stripe has a different color or opacity than the adjacent application surface. The stripe or the adjacent surface, for example, may be optically clear. The stripe may extend, for example, downwards from the application surface prior to first use of the product but end between 5% and 20% above the lower end of the composition.
In a second aspect, the product also includes a platform within the container. Typically, the platform is threadedly engaged with a threaded shaft such that when the shaft is rotated, for example by rotating a turnbuckle or like component positioned at the bottom of the product, the platform moves towards the open end of the container, thereby pushing out the composition. The composition has an upper portion and a lower portion and the lower portion has a different composition than the upper portion. When the lower portion becomes exposed at the open end of the container, it provides a different visual appearance on the application surface than the upper potion.
In a third aspect, the product includes a usage indicator that provides a visual indication that a predetermined portion of the composition has been consumed.
In a fourth aspect, the application surface includes a stripe extending downwardly prior to first use. The composition also includes a thin line parallel to the stripe extending upwards from the end of the composition.
xe2x80x9cDifferent colorxe2x80x9d, as used herein, includes different shades of a color. White and black are considered colors. A change in pearlescence is considered a different color.
xe2x80x9cWithin the containerxe2x80x9d, as used herein, means that at least part of the composition is within the container; for example, when the upper end of the composition including the application surface extends above the container the composition still is considered xe2x80x9cwithin the containerxe2x80x9d.
Other aspects of the invention include applying the antiperspirant and/or deodorant product to the underarm in an amount effective to reduce perspiration and/or malodor and to methods of making the products.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the description of the embodiment thereof, and from the claims.